Apple has announced that it will bail on Macworld Expo next year, but instead it will be attending the more generic Consumer Electronics Show in 2010, according to some sources. CES is usually held in Las Vegas, while Macworld Expo is held in San Francisco. However, CES has long been dominated by Microsoft's product announcements issued in keynotes by Bill Gates or, this year, CEO Steve Ballmer.

It will be interesting to see how the two companies will get along at the show, as Apple's announcements at Macworld Expo have overshadowed Microsoft's at CES, as the Cupertino-based company launched blockbuster products, such as the iPhone. In contrast, Microsoft announced a series of products that either never materialized, were impractical or have sold poorly.

Anyone must be wondering why Apple prefers to abandon its own show and join one held in honor of Microsoft. Well, it looks like Steve Jobs' company will leave Macworld due to the pressure to impress consumers and shareholders with sensational new product announcements. However, this change might just involve greater traveling expenses and expose the company to greater competition for media attention.

Apple leaves the impression that this is just just what they were looking for, as it branches out from its past as a computer hardware company into a full consumer electronics firm with significant software products. In the past few years, at Macworld and CES, Apple presented Mac OS X Tiger and Leopard, while Microsoft presented Vista. After that, the iPhone directly challenged Windows Mobile, while the iPod challenged the Zune music player.

Apple's appearance at CES 2010 might likely serve as a symbolic move by Apple, as it cements its increasing important in the consumer electronics world. It remains to be seen if they'll have the desired success.